Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. A man named Zacchaeus was there; he was a chief tax collector who was wealthy. He wanted to see who Jesus was, but because he was short, he could not see over the crowd. So, he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way. Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” So, he came down at once and welcomed him gladly. All the people saw this and began to mutter, “He has gone to be the guest of a sinner. But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now, I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.” Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost. — Luke 19:1–10 (NIV)
C. Douglas Young says “Zacchaeus” means “righteous or the pure one.” However, he did not live up to his name. He worked for the Roman government to collect taxes from his people. The Jewish people did not like living under the bondage of Rome, and the tax collectors had a bad reputation.
John MacArthur says, “Tax collectors were disloyal Israelites hired by the Romans to tax other Jews for personal profit. They became symbols for the worst kind of people.
Zacchaeus was a chief tax collector. Zacchaeus oversaw a large tax district. Jericho alone was a prosperous trading center. He had other tax collectors working for him. There is no doubt that Zacchaeus became a wealthy man.
In Luke 18, a rich young ruler asked Jesus, Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life? When Jesus said One thing you still lack. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come and follow me. But when he heard these things, he became sad, for he was rich. Jesus, seeing that he had become very sad, said,” How difficult it is for those who have wealth to enter the Kingdom of God! For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God. But he said, “What is impossible with man is possible with God.” Tax collectors were among the most despised people in Jewish society. Why? Often, the money collected was intended for Rome but was also used for personal purposes. Both collecting taxes for Rome and more for themselves made them not only traitors to the Jewish nations but also traitors to themselves.
Though Zacchaeus was a traitor in the eyes of the Jews, he was a lost sinner in the eyes of Jesus. Someone has said in the New Testament that the word “lost” means “in the wrong place.” A person is lost when he or she has wandered away from God.
Jewish people considered tax collectors hopeless. They could not imagine a tax collector could ever have a right relationship with God. Yet, in
Luke 3:2–13, the scriptures say even tax collectors came to be baptized. The tax collectors asked John the Baptist, “What should we do?” He said, “Do not collect any more taxes than you are required to.”
Zacchaeus wanted to know who Jesus was. Luke 19:3–4 tells us Zacchaeus wanted to see who Jesus was, but because he was short, he could not see over the crowd. So, he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way. A sycamore fig tree was a sturdy tree with low, spreading branches. A small man could get out on a limb and hang over the road. It was an undignified position for a man with such a high standing.
On that day, Zacchaeus was motivated by curiosity. John Calvin wrote, “Curiosity and simplicity are a sort of preparation for faith.” Why is there such a big crowd? Who is Jesus of Nazareth? Why are they following Him? Am I missing something?
When Zacchaeus sought to see Jesus, he did not appear to have any specific thoughts about Jesus noticing him. When Jesus called Zacchaeus by name,
Luke 18:15–17 says People were also bringing babies to Jesus for him to place his hands on them. When the disciples saw this, they rebuked them. But Jesus
Jesus outdid Zacchaeus’ expectations about him.
Called the children to him and said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the Kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the Kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it. What does Jesus mean? John MacArthur says to ‘become as little children is how Jesus characterized conversion. Like the Beatitudes, this verse pictures faith as the simple, helpless, trusting dependence of those who have no resources of their own. Like children, they have no achievements and no accomplishments to offer or with which to commend themselves.’
Warren W. Wiersbe says, “Jesus wants us to be childlike but not childish. An unspoiled child illustrates humility, faith, and dependence. He has a sense of wonder that makes life exciting.” The way to enter God’s Kingdom is to be like a child, in the sense of having trust and faith in Jesus.
W. E. Vine says the Apostle Paul often speaks of the Kingdom of God not dispensationally, which means the ordering of events under divine authority or any religious system, but morally. ‘God’ is everywhere. The Kingdom comes in judgment, power, and glory when rule in heaven and on earth will be one.
Zacchaeus thought he was seeking Jesus, but Jesus was seeking him. Romans 3:11b says no one seeks God. Why? Our inner being is controlled by sin.
Genesis 3:1–10 is the story of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. When Adam and Eve sinned, they tried to hide from God, but God sought and found them.
When I became a Christian, it was because God was seeking me. My father took the family to a church revival meeting. During the evangelist’s message, I realized that something important was missing in my life. It was like a voice was speaking to me. I tried to get rid of the feeling, but I could not. Later, I realized that it was God’s Holy Spirit speaking to me, making it known I needed to commit my life to Jesus Christ as my Savior and Lord. Jesus was seeking me through his Holy Spirit. I did not have peace until I made that commitment. Luke 19:10 says, For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost. The Bible says the Son of Man is Jesus. He gave His life on the Cross for our sins, three days later, He arose from the grave so we can inherit eternal life.
Because Zacchaeus was a very wealthy man materially, he had all he needed, but he was still not satisfied. Why? Because Zacchaeus was a tax collector, the Jewish people despised him. That may have made him feel lonely. He may have realized that material wealth could not give him the satisfaction he needed. The truth is that material wealth cannot give us eternal satisfaction.
The Bible does not tell us how God worked in the heart of Zacchaeus, but when God created us, He endowed us with both a physical nature and a spiritual nature. Being wealthy materially may satisfy our physical nature, but only temporarily. Someday, everybody will experience physical death. God also gave us a spiritual nature. The Apostle Paul says, in Romans 8:6b, the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. The person who is spiritually alive is at peace with God and has the promise of eternal life.
Zacchaeus was a small man. Zacchaeus could not help but be short, but he did what he had to do to see over the crowd. He overcame his handicap by putting aside his dignity and climbing the tree. In a sense, everybody is small in stature. Romans 3:23 says, all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. The Moody Bible commentary says, “fall short” means “lack.” The “glory of God” is sometimes connected by the apostle Paul to both God’s revealed perfections and His immortality, so that lacking the “glory of God” refers to God’s immortal splendor. Nobody can constantly live up to God’s standards.
Moody says we are all “too little” to enter heaven (without God’s help).
In Luke 16:15, Jesus said to the Pharisees, You are the ones who justify yourselves in the eyes of others, but God knows your hearts. What people value highly is detestable in God’s sight. Unfortunately, too many lost sinners believe that if they measure up to the world’s standards, it is good enough. For example, things such as money, position, authority, and popularity.
When Zacchaeus trusted Jesus Christ, he became a true son of Abraham.
The Apostle Paul says in Galatians 3:7 Understand, then, that those who have faith are children of Abraham. He became a true son of Abraham, meaning a child of faith. Zacchaeus was a bankrupt sinner who received the most expensive gift in the world. The apostle Paul says in Ephesians 1:3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.
Zacchaeus, the host, became the guest. Jesus invited himself to Zacchaeus’s house, and Zacchaeus received him joyfully. Zacchaeus was ready to obey the Lord. He was ready to do whatever was necessary to verify a genuine declaration of what Jesus meant to him.
Warren W. Wiersbe says, “When a day begins, you never know how it will end. For Zacchaeus, that day ended in joyful fellowship with the son of God, for he was now a changed man with a new life. Jesus is still seeking the lost. He is yearning to save them. As He found you?
The author of the book of Acts states in Acts 10:43 that all the prophets testify about Him, saying that everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins through His name.
Conclusion
The best things in life are our experiences, rather than the things we possess.
Contributor: C Paul Wooderson
